Becoming Human Beings

It dawned on me that he real problem behind human conflict is not that we love ourselves too much, thereby being selfish and self-centered, but that we do not love ourselves enough. It is only when we can see G-d in ourselves that we can see G-d in everybody else.  If we could all grasp the magnificent truth of our being and tap into that expression of the divine source in each of us, we would not be so easily controlled by strong personalities and other powers of this world. We learn to release the fears that keep us focused on materiality, judgments, hatred, and prejudice. Our actions become more meaningful. We can evaluate knowledge more effectively, transcending the bombardment of information that is so much a part of modern life.
We may agonize over whether we believe in G-d, but G-d believes in us. If we can only clear away the cobwebs in our minds – glimpse that wide-open heaven – we will understand that our potential is unlimited, and our powers are multifold. We always have options. After all, look who we have as our Source. The first step toward reaching our potential is of course to change our focus from the physical to the metaphysical, to let the breath of the Eternal fuse with our own.
I had a special need to tap into that supernatural presence. The stresses I encountered daily were frequently beyond my poor constitution to handle. I needed to fine myself, once again, to be rejuvenated. Fortunately, I knew where to go, having my mind back into the Word. I tend to wonder in the outdoors were the stones, water, leaves – just everything in nature strangely alive with the divine breath, calms and speaks to me. I had discovered myself afresh, but I had also discovered how to leave myself behind, how to filter out the background noise that robbed me of my inner peace.
I decided each day to set some time aside, to set a place aside, to center-down into my deepest being through silence, meditation, and study. Learning how to approach life and never underestimate yourself. Trust yourself; believe in you own judgment. Look in the mirror daily, but do not look for blemishes or the latest wrinkle in your brow. Stare at yourself and say not only, “I am made in the divine image,” but also, “I AM with the Father and the Father is with me.”
Satan can be said to represent human denial. He could not recognize the divinity of humans, or of anything else for that matter. He is a metaphor for the countless mental factors that get in the way of our believing in ourselves and in others. The great Adversary short-circuits the world of being by denying our connectedness with G-d. The outermost regions of hell as being occupied not by those who committed the worse acts, but by those condemned for their callous indifference to the divine image in others.
We must cultivate stillness, practice meditative silence, and take every opportunity to observe the world of nature. We realize that we are all part of the whole, the divine Source. It is only when we forget that greater reality that we perpetrate negativity, doing things that are not
G-d like. The Eternal considers humans to be nothing less than divine. We can see the spark of Deity in ourselves and know that we are a piece of the divine fullness.
Bottom line is we are all a part of the Divine Presence in the earth, and so is everyone else. All people have inherent worth. Dominating is not the way, for we are hurting ourselves as well as others, for we do damage to the image of the divine in us, enable us to act with conscience and creativity rather than reacting to circumstance. Remember we are only accountable for ourselves.
True, good deeds often seem to go unrewarded, but acts of revenge spawn their own demons to perpetuate evil. Cycles of revenge are as common today as they were in the Scriptures producing the same lamentable results. Revenge is a dish best served up cold, and may work as short-term tactics, but they inevitably fail as a long-term strategy. Be G-d like and leave it to Him.